A Corner of White by Jacqueline Moriarty

Madeleine's life is far from where it once was: no longer is she the jet-set daughter of a big shot with a passport full of stamps on every continent. She had a bad habit of running away when she was younger, and one night, her mother decided to come along. Now it's just the two of them living hand-to-mouth in Cambridge, and she homeschools with Jack and Belle. The only colours in her life anymore are the vibrant ones she adorns herself with, and of course, her umbrella.

In the kingdom of Cello (say chello), Colors are something else entirely. There are some (the Reds, Grays, Violets, and Yellows) that can even kill you. In fact, it was a Purple attack that killed Elliot's uncle, and (what he believes) took his father. It's been a year since he spent any real time in Cello. He's been out looking, searching for a solution to the unsolvable problem. He refuses to believe the rumors, or that his father is dead. Upon his latest return, his mother convinces him to stay for a while.

The worlds may have remained as they were, but for a corner of white. Madeleine retrieves a note from a parking meter. It's odd to say the least, but she has a lot of free time. She writes back, what's the harm? Rethinking her decision, she goes to retrieve it...but in its place is a response...from Elliot. He speaks of a place that sounds like something out of a fairy tale, and she dismisses him as a boy who plays too many video games. But she writes him back. He, in turn, continues the correspondence, informing her of what he knows of the previous connection between their two worlds. All traces have since been destroyed, and he faces great personal risk by continuing their communication...but isn't that part of the fun? Plus, he's pretty annoyed that she doesn't believe he exists!

Can these two from such very different worlds really be friends? Can Elliot help Madeleine come to grips with the reality of her life as it is now? Can Madeleine help Elliot face the Colors that may have killed his father?

So very beautifully written, many believe this is on a short list for this year's Prinz. It's the first in a series, and I warn you now: it takes a while to get going. If you can get through the slow beginning, it's worth it. The language, the character development, and the world building are very high quality. I'm looking forward to more colours of Madeline.

"'Madeleine doesn't exist",' he repeated now. 'What I sometimes think is, I sometimes think you haven't got a clue what you are talking about.'
'Nah, it's just that you can't follow the complicated pathways of my brain. It's like a labyrinth, my brain, and as beautiful as a brain can get. What I mean is, there's too much going on with Madeleine. It's like when you get every paint colour and mix them up, you end up with not a proper colour at all. Madeleine's lived in so many bloody places and she wears so many different bloody colours. You know what I mean? So she's not a proper person anymore, she's just a mess. Like she doesn't exist," (Moriarty pg. 127, 2013).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jacqueline Moriarty (The Colours of Madeline, Book 2) March 2014
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle, Book 2)
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Moriarty, Jacqueline. (2013). A corner of white. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books